Shanghai, Oct 3: Ben Shelton’s return to the ATP Tour ended in disappointment as he lost 2-6, 4-6 to former World No. 7 David Goffin in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday. The defeat has put a dent in Shelton’s hopes of securing a spot at the ATP Tour Finals this November.
Competing for the first time since retiring from the US Open third round in August due to a left shoulder injury, Shelton struggled to find his rhythm. He committed 22 unforced errors compared to Goffin’s 11, while the 34-year-old Belgian saved all three break points he faced. Goffin, who previously defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Masters 1000, now leads Shelton 2-0 in ATP Head2Head encounters. Goffin will face Gabriel Diallo in the third round on Sunday.
Shelton, 22, had a strong 2025 season, capturing his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto and reaching the Australian Open semi-finals. Entering Shanghai sixth in the ATP Live Race to Turin with 3,720 points, he was in a favorable position to debut at the ATP Finals. However, his early exit opens the door for seventh-placed Alex de Minaur (3,355) and eighth-placed Lorenzo Musetti (3,345) to surpass him. Shelton remains 1,005 points ahead of 10th-ranked Felix Auger-Aliassime, who is poised to challenge for a Top 8 spot.
Auger-Aliassime will face Chengdu champion Alejandro Tabilo in his Shanghai opener and needs just one win to reach his 250th career tour-level victory. This year, the Canadian has posted a 34-19 record, matching his best season since the 2022 breakthrough that earned him an ATP Finals debut.